Method of using frozen salt water to maintain a low cost, low energy consuming indoor or outdoor ice rink

Abstract

A method for creating an ice-skating rink comprising an excavation in the ground lined with polyethylene and filled with salt water; a pump and sprayer used in the winter to build up a layer of salt ice on top of the salt water and to eventually fill the excavation with frozen salt water in this manner, with the pump drawing salt water from beneath the salt ice as the freezing process progresses; covering the salt ice with a layer of straw or layers of air supported reinforced plastic during the warm weather months; circulating air or water over the salt ice and then through channels cut into the ice of the ice rink; laying aluminum foil on the skating surface and freezing more ice over it; and providing an enclosed air supported bubble over the ice with a secondary air supported inner ceiling having an upper facing aluminum surface thereon to reflect infrared radiation coming from the main outer bubble.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of maintaining an outdoor ice rink where an ice base is built up, channels are cut in the said ice bases, headers are cut along the sides of the said ice base, a lower layer of polyethylene is laid out over the said channels and headers, the said lower layer of polyethylene is flooded with salt water, an upper layer of polyethylene is applied over the said salt water, the edges of the said upper layer of polyethylene and the said lower layer of polyethylene are secured by a securing means, ice is frozen over the said upper layer of polyethylene, a layer of aluminum foil is applied over the said ice, an ice surface is frozen over the said aluminum foil, salt water coolant is circulated between the said upper layer of polyethylene and the said lower layer of polyethylene, a header box and side boards is placed over the said headers, slits are provided in the said side boards near the said ice surface, sub-freezing air is circulated through the said slits and over the said ice surface, said salt water coolant is supplied to the said chanels by a method of supplying refrigeration comprising of an excavation in the ground, fender boards around the top of the said excavation, a waterproof liner in the said excavation, filling the said excavation with salt water, pumping the said salt water from the bottom of the excavation and spraying it out over the surface of the said salt water during freezing winter weather and filling the said excavation with frozen salt water, covering the said frozen salt water with a layer of polyethylene followed by a layer of insulating straw during the warm weather months, circulating salt water refrigerant over the said frozen salt water and supplying it to the said outdoor ice rink, supplying said sub-freezing air through the said slits and over the said ice surface by means of a heat transfer unit which works in conjunction with the said method of supplying refrigeration, placing a structure for selectivity providing shade over the said outdoor ice rink consisting of support posts, a waterproof fabric cover having a downward facing surface of aluminum, a roller reefed cable attached to one end of the said fabric cover, electric reversible roller reefing winches, side cables secured to the side edges of the said fabric cover, reversible electric side cable winches, a drain hole in the said fabric cover, and a means to drain away water from the said hole. 
     
     
       2. A method of maintaining an indoor ice rink comprising the building up of an ice base, cutting channels in the said ice base, flooding the said ice base with water, freezing a layer of ice over the top of the said channels, cutting headers along each side of the said ice base, draining the water from in the said channels through the said headers, placing air ducts over the said headers, circulating sub-freezing air through the said air ducts and said air channels, supplying the said sub-freezing air by a refrigeration method comprising of an excavation made in the ground, sealing the excavation with a waterproof liner, filling the excavation with salt water, pumping the said salt water from the bottom of the said excavation and spraying it out over the surface of the said salt water during freezing winter weather until the said excavation is filled with frozen salt water, covering the said frozen salt water with an outer air-supported structure having an inner air-supported structure with an upward facing surface of aluminum foil thereon, circulating air over the said frozen salt water by means of a fan, an air supply duct, and an air return duct, connecting an inflation blower to the said outer air-supported structure, placing a highly insulating covering over the said indoor rink comprising an outer air-supported structure, a dirt ridge, a central air-supported layer having an upward facing surface of aluminum foil and a downward facing surface of aluminum foil thereon, means to secure the said central air-supported layer to the said dirt ridge, and a blower, filter, dehumidifier and control valve. 
     
     
       3. A method of supplying refrigeration to an ice rink comprising: providing an ice rink, digging an excavation in the ground proximate to the ice rink, the excavation being at least as wide at its bottom as it is at its top; placing a waterproof liner in said excavation; filling the excavation with salt water; pumping the salt water from the bottom of said excavation and spraying it out over the surface of the salt water during the freezing winter months thereby filling the excavation with frozen salt water and creating a mass of cold frozen thermal energy; covering the mass of frozen salt water with an insulating means during the warm weather months;   providing plumbing for a heat transfer fluid between the ice rink and the mass of frozen salt water in the excavation; circulating the heat transfer fluid in contact with the frozen mass of salt water to the ice rink thereby maintaining the water in the ice rink in a frozen state.   
     
     
       4. A method of making an ice rink surface comprising: filling the rink with water during the cold winter months until the water is frozen, thereby establishing an ice base, cutting channels in the ice base across the transverse axis of the ice base, cutting headers along the side of the ice base thereby establishing a gridwork of fluid passages in the ice base, providing a first layer of polyethylene over said gridwork; flooding the surface of first polyethylene layer with salt water, providing a second layer of polyethylene over the salt water, securing the upper and lower layers of polyethylene, flooding the second layer of polyethylene with water thereby forming a frozen ice layer, circulating the salt water from between the first and second layers to the ice layer resting upon the second layer. 
     
     
       5. A method for making an ice rink surface according to claim 4 which includes freezing a layer of aluminum foil into the said ice rink surface. 
     
     
       6. A method for making an ice rink surface according to claim 5 which includes placing a header board and side boards over the said headers, providing slits in the said side boards near the said ice rink surface, and circulating sub-freezing air through the said slits and over the said ice rink. 
     
     
       7. A method of making an ice rink according to claim 4 further comprising providing air ducts over said headers and circulating sub-freezing air through said ducts and said gridwork in order to maintain said ice rink in frozen condition.   
     
     
       8. A method of making an ice rink surface according to claim 7 which includes a layer of white paint frozen into the said ice base below the said channels. 
     
     
       9. A method for makung an ice rink surface according to claim 8 which includes shining lights into the said channels and stringing lights through the said channels.